Food scoops of the type normally referred to as fry scoops are widely used in coffee shops, quick service restaurants, convenience stores, and other such “fast food” establishments, for the dispensing of chips, fries, popcorn, chicken nuggets, and like “finger” foods.
Such known scoops are of a generally narrow rectangular or slightly rounded configuration, with a higher back wall providing for or assisting in the scooping of the fries, or other foodstuffs therein.
With the conventional generally round or conical scoop, the container, when filled, will normally lie flat on its back panel with the contents tending to spill from the open mouth thereof.
The conventional scoop also incorporates multiple vertical fold lines extending for the full height thereof and defining distinct narrow planar sides to the scoop which do not particularly lend themselves to a continuous surface pattern about the peripheral wall of the scoop. Problems may also arise with regard to the proper filling of the conventional scoop, and the withdrawal of foods therefrom in light of the relatively narrow elongate nature of the scoop and the angular corners provided about the interior thereof.
One improved form of food carton will be noted in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0102110. This carton is of a preformed, inverted configuration with features for holding the food product within the carton.
Existing containers have been proposed as providing for a closable lid whereby the heated food contents are kept warm during carrying or transporting of the food, and whereby the food contents are retained inside the container if it is accidentally tipped over from a standing position. However, there is much room for improvement.
In this regard, a closable container has not heretofore particularly lent itself to formation from a single blank without relying on a rather complex arrangement of fold and score lines and a corresponding use of extra material beyond that actually required to form the food chamber. This in turn also leads to an increase in the time and complexity of the actual manufacturing process.